Ellinore
by AllyLobster
Summary: For Castle Fanfic Monday. Evan makes his introduction into the world, and Ellinore joins the Castle family.


**I finally got a story out for Castle Fanfic Monday!**

 **Based off Grabnetsrik1's message: Hi! I gotta say, I love your Evan and Ellinore stories, they are adorable! I'd love to see a story about how he got his elephant and how she got her name. Please? With whipped cream and M & M's on top? :)**

 **This is also posted on my tumblr.**

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Kate was starting to get antsy. Her husband had left nearly two hours ago–right after she'd pushed their son out of a _very_ small hole thankyouverymuch. Not that she was bitter. Really, she wasn't. Not anymore, at least.

Now she was getting worried.

He'd given her a gentle kiss after they'd taken Evan– _holy_ _crap_ they have a son–to the nursery to let her rest for a bit. He'd said he was going out to call the members of their family not currently sitting in the waiting room, and maybe to get some food. She figured he would be back after her little nap, but he was still gone, and each time she checks her phone only confirms that he hasn't called or texted her.

She can appreciate food. She's hungry, there hadn't had a chance to eat breakfast, what with their son deciding to make his grand entrance. And it's nearing dinner now, so she's hungry. Castle has to be too. So where _is_ he?

She reaches for her phone, deciding to bite the bullet and call him, but the door to her room opens and she smiles wide when she sees her husband standing in the doorway, looking sheepish.

"Well, look at that, the intrepid traveler is back. How was your adventure?"

He gives her a small smile as he walks into the room, a bag with food in it in one hand and large shopping bag in the other.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I got sidetracked on my way to get food."

"For two hours?" Kate asks as she pats the bed beside her hip for him to sit beside her. "I was getting worried."

"I know." Rick says as he sits down, setting the shopping bag on the bed and putting the food on the rolling table within Kate's reach, a smile stretching his face as he watches her eagerly reach for the food, her own smile growing when she sees that he brought her Remy's.

"Might be a little cold." Rick murmurs as he takes his own from Kate's hand. "Traffic was pretty crappy on the way back."

"I don't care at this point." Kate says before taking a big bite and groaning at the taste. "Mkshk?" She asked with her mouth full.

Rick laughs at his wife and leans in to kiss her cheek. "Should be in the bag, Love."

Kate's eyes sparkle as she finds the shake in the bag, but her joy lessens when she sees that there's only one.

"We have to share?"

Rick laughs again, louder this time. "I would never do that to you, Love. That's all yours. Drank mine on the ride back."

Kate's smile returns and she nods while taking a sip, relishing in the cool taste of strawberry on her tongue.

"You gonna tell me what sidetracked you for two hours?" She asks as she takes another bite of her rapidly shrinking burger.

"It wasn't two hours. Remy's was packed, so it took a while."

"You were gone longer than I expected, Rick." Kate reminds him softly. "I woke up and you still weren't back."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't get a cab outside of Remy's so I had to walk a bit before I could get one. And we already established that I got distracted on the way there."

"Because you have the attention span of your son." Kate says as she wipes her hands on a napkin.

Rick leans in and presses a happy kiss to her lips, taking her partially by surprise. "We have a son, Kate." Rick murmurs as he rests his forehead against hers.

"We do, Rick. And they'll bring him back soon, so tell me what's in the bag." She responds while eyeing the shopping bag by her calf. "Is it for me?"

"Right." Rick shakes himself. "It's not for you, but you'll get your gift a little later."

"I was joking, Rick. You didn't have to get me anything."

"Yeah, that's not true. You just gave birth, Kate. You deserve something to commemorate that."

"I think the child I birthed will do a fine job." Kate replies with a laugh.

"Nope. I already ordered it. You should have it in the next day or two. Anyway," Rick says, barreling on to avoid any more protests from his wife. "I walked by a toy store, and couldn't resist the temptation."

"Of course you couldn't." Kate teases with a smile on her face.

"You wouldn't have been able to either. Not once you see what I found him."

"Him? Or you?"

"This is definitely for him." Rick says as he pulls the bag into his lap. "Close your eyes."

Kate rolls her eyes before complying, and Rick reaches into the bag and places something soft in Kate's lap.

"Ok, open them."

Kate opens her eyes and looks down at the stuffed elephant in her lap.

"Oh, Rick." She says softly as she traces over the trunk. "She's gorgeous."

"I saw it from the window and just knew he needed it."

"She's bigger than he is." Kate laughs. "But he'll grow into her, I'm sure."

Kate looks up at him with tears in her eyes as he fingers continue to play over the soft fabric of the stuffed elephant.

"You're crying, Kate." Rick says softly, wiping a tear away with his thumb.

"'M not. 'S the hormones."

Rick chuckles as he draws her into his side. "Ok, Kate."

"Does she have a name?" Kate asks after a moment of silence. "I know we should let him name her, but that won't happen for a while, and I don't want her to be without a name for that long. It sounds silly, I'm sure."

"Not at all, Kate. There was a book next to the stack of elephants, I think I saw the name Ellinore on the book. Might have been the author's name. I shold have gotten the book too. That's what solidified it for me. It was a book about a boy's adventures with his stuffed elephant."

"That's a perfect name for her." Kate replies. "We can get the book later."

Rick laughs suddenly, and shakes his head when Kate gives him a look. "It's nothing, I was just thinking about how long it took us to pick Evan's name when it took us less than a minute to name his elephant."

"The elephant's name is flexible, Castle. Evan's isn't. I wanted to get it right."

Before Rick can respond, a knock on the door echoes through the room and a nurse pops her head in. "Your little boy is awake, and I think someone is hungry, if you want to try nursing him."

"Yeah." Kate smiles as she nods, eyes glued to the bassinet that holds Evan. Rick stands and takes Ellinore out of Kate's lap while the nurse helps her get the baby situated. Eventually he latches on and Kate is lost in the world of Evan's brilliant blue eyes and the snuffling sounds coming from her son while he eats. She hears a camera click and looks up to find Rick with his phone up. She rolls her eyes again, but offers another smile as he snaps a few more pictures. When Evan is done nursing, Kate hands him off to Rick to get him settled and into the bassinet after he puts his phone away. Kate scoots over to make room for her husband and smiles as she watches him look over their son.

She calls his name softly and he turns and smiles at her before he comes and sits back on the bed beside Kate. Her eyes drift to Evan's bassinet and the elephant standing guard over their son, and the smile that's been on her face all day grows even more.

Rick wraps his arm around her shoulders and she sinks gratefully into his embrace.

"You did everything exactly right, Kate." He murmurs into her hair as she drifts off to sleep again.

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 **Hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Twitter and tumblr: AllyLobster**


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